Funds are requested in support of travel and/or registration costs for scientists attending the 1997 Gordon Research Conference on Genetic Toxicology. This bi-annual conference will be held at Colby-Sawyer College in New London, NH from June 22-27. Attendance at the conference has historically drawn participants from industry, academia, government research laboratories, and federal regulatory agencies from throughout the world. Session chairs, speakers, and discussion leaders are all experts in the fields of genetic toxicology, mutagenesis, carcinogenesis, DNA repair, or epidemiology. Genetic toxicology is a field dedicated to the identification of sources of genetic damage and to the definition of the mechanisms whereby such damage occurs. As such, the field of genetic toxicology necessarily relies upon data and insights drawn from a range of scientific disciplines. Sessions are designed to allow experts in these fields to discuss current results; and, time is provided for extensive discussions, both immediately following research presentations and in the discussion sessions. Finally, investigators of a few selected posters with results relevant to each session will be asked to make brief presentations (5 minute, 2-3 slides) during the discussion sessions. These presentations are intended to provide an opportunity for more broad conference participation, especially for students and postdoctoral fellows. The 1997 conference will extend our understanding of processes that impact genome stability especially following exposure to mutagens or carcinogens. Briefly, the sessions will address: 1) normal and aberrant DNA metabolism and replication; 2) normal and treatment mediated cellular responses to DNA damage; 3) applications of transgenic systems to the assessment of in vivo mutations; 4) molecular aspects of neoplastic transformation in the skin; 5) state-of-the-art techniques for the detection of DNA damage, gene mutations, or genomic instability, and 6) molecular evidence of the genetic effects in exposed human populations. Special lectures will be presented in the areas of DNA polymerase fidelity (T. Kunkel), biological consequences of DNA damage (B. Glickman), and factors influencing genomic instability (M. Radman). Such studies have direct relevance to the etiology of human cancer and to assessing the risk of newly induced germline mutations. Finally, the results and discussions anticipated at the Gordon Conference on Genetic Toxicology will provide a basis for more accurate estimates of the health risks of genotoxic agents and should provide data critical to the federal regulatory decisions concerning drug or chemical safety.